Controller for motor-driven apparatus



R. G. LOCKETT CONTROLLER FOR MOTOR DRIVEN APPARATUS Aug. 16, 1927.1,638,860-

Original Filed May 51, 1921 I N V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY v Patented Aug. 16 1927.

UNITED STATES I 1,638,860 PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH G. LQCKETT, (iITIIILWA'ITKEE, ,WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THECUTLER-HAM- mun Mrs. 00., or mnwauxnn, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION orwrsoonsni.

- CONTROLLER roa mo'ron-nmvnu nrrannrus.

Application fi led Kay 31, 1821, Serial No. 473.397. Renewed January 9,1926.

This invention relates to controllers for motor driven apparatus and isparticularly applicable to controllers for washing machines although ithas various other advantageous applications. ,4

In washing machines of the barrel type wherein the direction of'rotation of the barrel is periodically reversed considerable difficultyhas heretofore been experienced in arresting the barrel with theremovable covf er thereofin registration with the removable stoppingmeans.

cover of its enclosing casing. Heretofore it" has been customary toresort to inching t'o efiect registration of the covers.

The present invention has among its ob-' jects to provide control meansfor washing machines and apparatus of other character which willautomatically insure accurate stopping of the driven element in thedesired position regardlessof its direction of operation at the instantof stopping.

Anther object is to provide automatic control means for machineryoperating at varying s eeds which will insure a predetermined spee uponinitiation of the. operation of Various other objects and advantages ofthe invention will hereinafter appear. The accompanyingdrawing'diagrammaticall illustrates one embodiment of the inventionwhich will now be described, it being understood that the controllerillustrat ed is susceptible of. various modifications and variousdififerent uses without departing from the scope of theappended claims.

Referring to the drawing there is illustrated a barrel 1 to beperiodically rotated. in opposite directions by a motor M, said barrelhaving a hinged cover 2 to be brought into registration with an openingin an en' closing case 3, said casing having a removable cover 4. I

The motor M-is of the shunt type comprising an armature a and field f,said motor to be controlled through the medium of series resistances R,R" and R As shown the continuity of the motor circuit is controlled byan electro-responsive switch 5 which also controls the circuit of thewinding B of an electro-magnetic brake associated with the motor whilethe direction of operation and speed of the motor are controlled by adrum 6 of conventional form commonly employed for'washingmachinecontrol. The drum -6 is adapted to be rotated continuously in a themotor armature and to control the resistances R, R and B. As will beunderstood, whenever the drum 6 reverses the flow of current through themotor armature, it first re-includes the resistances and after reversalautomatically excludes said e 1 tance sequentially to accelerate themotor.

The main switch 5 is controlled by an electrn-responsive relay 7 whichin turn "is controlled ,by' a. normally open push button switch 8 and anormally closed push'button.

switch 9, said switches res ectively serving for starting and stopping.ore specifically closure of switch 8 completes a circuit from line Lthrough said switch by conductor 10 through the winding of relay 7 byconductor 'llthrough the normally. closed switch 9 to line L The relay 7is thereupon energized and upon response completes circuit from line Lby conductor 12 through'the left hand ole of said relay by conductor 13throng the'operatin windin of switch 5 to line L Theright hand po e ofthe relay completes a circuit shunting the switch 8 'or" in other wordsestablishes a maintaining circuit for said relay independent of thestarting switch 8, said circuitbeing obvious." Thus momentary depressionof theswitch 8 serves to complete the circuit of motor M whereasmomentary depression of switch 9 throughde-energization of relay 7 tendsto de-energize' sw1tch5 for interruption of the motor circuit. Alsothere is shown an automatic switch 14 included in the maintainingcircuit of the relay for limiting the o eration of the motor M to adefinite period y periodically initiating the stopping operation,

the use of such switch being optional. Such time switches are commonlydesired in washing machine control and are so designed as to remain openonlv momentarily, reclosure thereof being accomplished before the machine is stopped.

While de-energization of the relay 7 tends to de-energize main switch 5,the means now to be described delays de-energization of said switchuntil the barrel 1 first attains a given speed and thenassumes a givenangularposition according to its direction of rotation. iary contactdrum 15 associated with the drum 6 and a contact drum 16 associated withthe barrel 1. The drum 15 comprises This means comprises an auxiltwocontact segments 17 and 18 insulated from one another and rotatable inunison with the drum 6, the segment 17 havingcooperating contactfingers.19 and 20 and segment 18 having co-operating 'contact fingers 21and 22. Likewise. the drum 16 comprises two contact se ents 23 and 24insulated from one anot er and rotatable in unison with the barrel 1,said segment 23 having co-operating contact fingers 25 and 26 andsegment 24 having co-operating contact fingers 27 and 28. These drumsare provided to jointly establish a number of alternative shunts for therelay 7 to maintain the switch 5 energized upon releaseof said relay.More specifically, the intermediate fingers of the two drums areinterconnected through a common connection 29 while the fingers 19 and22 of drum 15 are respectively connected to fingers 28' and 25 of drum16 by conductors 30 and 31. Also fingers 22 and-25 are connected byconductors 32 and 12 to line L while fingers 19 and 28 are connected byconductor 33 to con ductor 13 and'through the winding of switch 5 toline L2. Thus it will be apparent that the two drums afford a number ofcombinations for establishment of a maintaining circuit for switch 5.

However, the segments 17 and 18 of drum 15 are interrupted as byinsulation inserts 34 and 35 respectively whereby one so ent breakscircuit between its co-operating contact fingers in a full speed forwardposition of the drum 6 and the other in a full speed reverse position ofsaid drum. Also t e segments 23 and 24 of drum 16 are interrupted asbyinsulation inserts 36 and 37 to respectively interrupt circuit betweentheir co-operating fingers as the barrel 2 approaches from the oppositedirections the angular position illustrated. 3 Thus by proper design ofthe drums and proper ping of the barrel and in view of the fact that theswitch 5 releases only at a given speed of the motor the drift, if any,will be substantially uni orm. Manifestly therefore, the means describedprovides for accurate stopping of the barrel regardless of its speed anddirectionof operation at the inst-ant of release of relay 7 under theinfluence of the timeswitch 14 or the manual stop switch 9. It is to beunderstood that the brake may be so designed as to stop the barrel inthe desired sition re ardless of varlations in load wit in a fair y widerange if the barrel is always accelerated to 3. wen speed prior tostopping as described.

More specifically considering the connections controlled by the drums 15and 16 circuit may be traced from line L by conductors 12, 32 and 31 toand through contact finger 22, segment 18 and contact finger 21 of drum15 and thence to and through contact finger 20, segment 17 and contactfinger 19 by the conductors 30, 33 and 13 to and through the winding ofswitch 5. Also circuit may be traced from contact finger 21 by conductor29 to and through contact finger 27, segment 24 and contact finger 28 ofdrum 16 to conductors 33 and 13 thus paralleling the circuit throughsegment 17 and contact fingers 19 and 20. Obviously there-,

fore assuming an uninterrupted connection between contact finger 20 andline L the switch 5 is insured energization until the insulating insert3 10f drum 15 registers with contact ginger 19 and the insulated insert36 of drum 16 simultaneously registers with contact finger 28 which willoccur when the drum 6' assumes a position for given speed of motor M andbarrel 1 assumes a given angular position as aforedescribed. As will beapparent the drum 15 may be operated at such a speed as to ermit a fullrevolution of drum 16 during t e period that insulating insert 34 of theformer drum registers with cont-act finger 19 whereby de-energization ofswitch 5 may be insured when the barrel 1 assumes a given angularposition causing the insulating insert 36 to register with contactfinger 28. Also as will be apparent the segment 18 of drum 15 serves tomaintain line connection of contact 20 throughout operation of thebarrel 1 in a given direction since the insulating insert 35 is 180degrees removed from the insulating insert 34 to function only uponoperation of the drum 6 for reverse operation of motor M.

Also circuit may be traced from line L by conductors 12 and 32 to andthrough contact finger 25, segment 23 and contact finger 26 of drum 16and by conductor 29 to contact finger 20 of drum 15. Thus assuming anuninterrupted connection between the winding of switch 5 and contactfinger20, said winding is insured connection to line .L so long assegment 18 bridges contact fingers 21 and 22 or segment 23 bridgescontact fingers 25 and 26. On the other hand when contact fingers 22 and25 simultaneously engage the insulating inserts of their respectivecontact segments they insure interruption of the circuit of winding 5,this occurring when the drum 6 assumes a position for a given speed ofmotor M and the barrel 1 occupies a given angular position. As will beapparent the segment 17 render the former means provides anuninterrupted connection be tween contact finger and the winding of 2.Ina controller for motor driven apparatus, theapparatus being-operablein opposite directions by reversal of the motor, in combination, meansto direct stop ing of the driving motor and means ten ing to ineffectivefor stopping pending given positionin of! a part of the driven apparatusdepending upon its direction of operation and also pending concurrentoperation of the motor at a given speed. v

3. In a controller for motor driven apparatus, in combination, means toeffect operation of the motor in opposite directions and to acceleratethe motor and stopping means for the driving motor including'means fordela ing initiation of the stopping operation pen ing given positioningof a 'part of the driven apparatus varying with the direction ofoperation thereof and pending concurrent operation of the motor at agiven speed.

4. In a controller for motor driven apparatus, in combination, means foreriodical-' ly reversing the driving motor an automatically acceleratingthe same, means to. di rect stopping of the motor and means tending torender said stop ing means in efl'ective for stopping pen ing givenacceleration of the controlled motor and movement of a part of thedriven ap aratus into given positions selectively according to' thedirection of operation of the motor.

5. In a controller for motor driven apparatus, in combination, means.for. periodically reversing the driving motor and accelerating thesame, means independent of the former means to direct stopping of themotor and means tending to render said stopping means ineffective forstopping pending given acceleration of the controlled motor and movementof a part of the driven apparatus into given positions selectivelyaccording to the direction of operation of the motor, said firstmentioned means being operable to stop the motor for reversalindependently of the last mentioned means.

6. In a controller for motor driven appaatus, in combination, means tostart and accelerate the driving motor and stopping means for the motorincluding devices respectively associated with the driven associated wltrat-us and said accelerating means to action of said stopping meanspending given positioning of a part of the driven apparatus, suchpositioning varying with the direction of operation of the motor andalso pending concurrent operation of the motor at a given speed.

8. In a controller for motor drivenappa- 'ratus, in combination, meansfor startln and accelerating the driving motor, sai means providing forreversal of. the motor periodically and stopping means for the motorincluding devices respectively asso ciated with said accelerating meansand the driven apparatus to render action of said stopping meansdependent upon given positiomng of a part of the driven a paratus suchpositioning varying with the irection of operation of the motor and alsodependent upon concurrent operation of the motor at a given speed,- saidfirst mentioned means being operable to stop the motor for reversalthereof independently of the last men tioned means.

9. In a controller for motor driven apparatus, in combination, means tostart, accelerate and stopthe driving motor including anelectro-magnetic switch to be de-energized for stopping and devicesrespectively the driven apparatus and said accelerating means tomaintain an energizing circuit for said sto ping switch throughout agiven range 0 movement of a part of the driven apparatus regardless ofciated with the drivenapparatus and said.

accelerating means to rovide maintaining circuits for said switc wherebystopping by the latter is delayed pending predetermined positioning of aart of the driven apparatus according to t e direction of operation ofthe motor and also pendingconcurrrent operation of the motor at a givenspeed. i

11. In a controller for motor driven apparatus, in combination, means todirect sto ping of the driving motor and means ten 111g to render theformer means ineffective for stopping pending given positioning of apart of the driven apparatusand concurrent operation of the drivingmotor at substantially full speed.

12. In a controller for motor driven a paratus, in combination, meansfor periodical- 1y reversing the driving motor and automatically.accelerating the same, said acceleratin means comprising resistance tobe exclu ed. from the motor circuit, means to direct stoppin of themotor and means tending to render said sto ping means ineffective forstopping pen ing exclusion of all of said resistance from the motorcircuit and given positioning of a. part of the driven apparatus.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

RALPH G. LOGKETT.

